Sogamoso – The hydroelectric power plant in Sogamoso, Colombia, one of the country’s four major plants, has been officially inaugurated. The President of the Republic Juan Manuel Santos Calderón and other members of government, the general manager of ISAGEN (the client) Luis Fernando Rico Pinzón, and Salini Impregilo management attended the ceremony. Located on the Sogamoso river in north-west Colombia, the plant comprises a 190-m-tall dam and an underground power station housing three Francis turbines capable of generating a total of 820 MW of power. It will supply about 10% of the country’s annual energy requirement, thus playing an important role in generating the annual average of energy (5,056 GWh per year). The construction of the plant, worth €650 million, lasted about six years and created jobs for 7,000 people. In addition to contributing to the region’s energy security and development of tourism, it will improve the quality of life of all Santander residents and provides a real development opportunity for inhabitants of the area. (9colonne)
